Houses with hidden rooms- thoughts?

[gatorsmom]

If you have built a house with a hidden room or storage area, OR you bought a house with something like that, what do you use it for? Do you use it? Where did you put it? Any thoughts about that?

We are in the midst of house planning right now. I can see several good reasons to have a hidden area or room but DH would rather spend our budgeted dollars on other things. I thought I'd get some other thoughts on the subject. TIA!

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

A former coworker had the most amazing house. He built a playroom in the attic that was reached through a narrow stairway built in to what looked to be a cupboard. Then in his kitchen, the stairs lifted up (freaking amazing) and you could go down a hidden stairway into the basement where he had a poker room with bar and tons of wine storage. The place was awesome. (It also has a fabulous location in Palo Alto right by Stanford.)

I would love to put a secret room in if I could!

[elliput]

My parents had a house with a small hidden storage area. It was accessed by swinging out a storage closet. I believe they used it as a gun cabinet when they lived there. There was also an unfinished bonus room above the garage which was accessed through a storage closet.

[KpbS]

We have a small extra room off of one of our bedrooms. It is basically a bonus attic and I keep all of the DC clothing I have bought ahead or they've outgrown and waiting to be passed to the next child or sorted and passed on to friends/charity. I love having it.

[mommy111]

I am horrendously scared of hidden rooms....what if someone gets trapped in one in a fire or something and noone can figure out where they are? Sorry, dont want to be a party pooper, but I'd be so scared!

[ncat]

My grandma lived in an old farmhouse where the attic was reached through a staircase hidden in the closet of the master bedroom. It was pretty cool.

[gatorsmom]

I am horrendously scared of hidden rooms....what if someone gets trapped in one in a fire or something and noone can figure out where they are? Sorry, dont want to be a party pooper, but I'd be so scared!

See, these are the ideas I expect to get from you smart moms! Actually, I should have put "hidden rooms/passages" in the title. There are several reasons I have thought of for putting a hidden room or passage in the house. I had an idea that it would be a good idea to put a second staircase leading to our upstairs bedrooms (all the bedrooms will be on the second floor). This would be so that the kids furthest from the main stairway could get out in case of a fire. But, for several reasons, I don't want it to be a common stairway. For example, I don't want the kids' friends thinking it would be a fun thing to play in. And if it was hidden, no one would notice it or ask to use it. I thought about hiding a staircase from Gator's room (next to the garage attic) leading down to the garage.

The secondary fire escape route is my main reason for wanting a hidden escape. The second reason for either a hidden passage or a safe room is because our new lot is very secluded. It's actually in the middle of town but is completely surrounded by forest and hills. Which seems really nice and private and awesome until DH goes out of town. And he frequently goes out of town. I hate the idea of being alone in a big, secluded house where no one will hear me screaming when DH is out of town. I was just thinking that it would be nice to have a secret way out of the house if we heard someone trying to get in. This second idea sounds totally paranoid and ridiculous now that I'm actually typing it out. If I heard someone outside our house, I'd call the police. But if someone was already in the house, there's no way I'd block only myself into a saferoom. And I couldn't get all four kids in fast enough or quietly enough.

[wellyes]

I'd feel more nervous than secure with additional entry points, honestly. Plus, I just picture the kids as teenagers using them to sneak out!!

[crl]

I'd feel more nervous than secure with additional entry points, honestly. Plus, I just picture the kids as teenagers using them to sneak out!!

:yeahthat: I think having secret rooms or passageways would be irresistible for your kids to share with their friends and to then play in.

Catherine

[secchick]

If you are worried about fire, I did a sprinkler system for that, which will make it easier to exit and prevent fire damage to your home. A nearby neighborhood has had a rash of break-ins, and while they may take some jewelry in plain siht, they generally toss the place and bedside tables and under beds. The police say they are lookig for guns. If I were a gun owner or collector, I would consider a hidden closet for that purpose, but a staircase generally helps fires spread (which is why open staircases are limited in high rise buildings).

[craftysierra]

My parents have a interior storage room that is used for holiday and seasonal stuff that is somewhat hidden. Love this space in their house.

[*myfoursons]

If I were building a house, I would do this in a heartbeat. I remember seeing in a blog how a couple hid a playroom door inside an armoire, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

[infomama]

Hidden room I would not build...hidden area for a safe/valuables, yes.

[mytwosons]

I would not build a hidden stair case as an emergency exit. I could imagine people being trapped in there and the fire fighters not being able to find them.

[mackmama]

I grew up in a house that had many secret passageways and storage rooms. My parents eventually built out into them because they just weren't used and ended up being wasted space. I definitely understand your wanting a "secret escape" though in case of an emergency. I'd probably lean toward getting a good alarm system though and have the alarm company install a wall-mounted panic button by your bedside.

[Globetrotter]

I would only use it for valuables. Of course, I'm thinking of earthquakes and fire safety!

[MamaMolly]

I wouldn't have any secret exits. A way out is a way in. I have no problem with the idea of hiding valuables or weapons, though I'm more inclined to just buy a seriously heavy safe and put stuff in there. It's not like a burgerlar is going to be able to schlep a 600lb safe out the door, you know?

[tribe pride]

Having a hidden room makes me think of Nancy Drew! Which I guess could be either super-cool, or super-creepy, depending on the circumstances.

[Giantbear]

See, these are the ideas I expect to get from you smart moms! Actually, I should have put "hidden rooms/passages" in the title. There are several reasons I have thought of for putting a hidden room or passage in the house. I had an idea that it would be a good idea to put a second staircase leading to our upstairs bedrooms (all the bedrooms will be on the second floor). This would be so that the kids furthest from the main stairway could get out in case of a fire. But, for several reasons, I don't want it to be a common stairway. For example, I don't want the kids' friends thinking it would be a fun thing to play in. And if it was hidden, no one would notice it or ask to use it. I thought about hiding a staircase from Gator's room (next to the garage attic) leading down to the garage.

The secondary fire escape route is my main reason for wanting a hidden escape. The second reason for either a hidden passage or a safe room is because our new lot is very secluded. It's actually in the middle of town but is completely surrounded by forest and hills. Which seems really nice and private and awesome until DH goes out of town. And he frequently goes out of town. I hate the idea of being alone in a big, secluded house where no one will hear me screaming when DH is out of town. I was just thinking that it would be nice to have a secret way out of the house if we heard someone trying to get in. This second idea sounds totally paranoid and ridiculous now that I'm actually typing it out. If I heard someone outside our house, I'd call the police. But if someone was already in the house, there's no way I'd block only myself into a saferoom. And I couldn't get all four kids in fast enough or quietly enough.
If your concern is safety, have an alarm system installed with panic buttons in the rooms you frequent and central station monitoring. Have your smoke and heat detectors hooked up to them as well.

[scriptkitten]

i'd do it. i'm gonna put this on my list of items for my dream house to have.

[khm]

I don't think it's a good idea for your situation. I think, for me anyways, it'd backfire and I would fixate on them as a way for someone to get in, a place for someone to be hiding. I'd think of all the people who built it and know about it and all the people they told, etc. :)

It also seems a waste of space. Concentrate on putting phones in the right rooms, good alarms, good layout/flow, etc.

We did see a few houses that used the space under the front stoop as a little hidey-hole, the foundation was done in a way that used this space where normally it is not part of the dug out foundation. Not really a hidden room, per se, but a good use of a random bit of space that normally didn't get used. It could be a gun safe area, or a wine storage area, etc.

We have friends who added on and due to how it was done, they did a second "secret entrance" into the space through the cabinetry. It's fun to show off, but not often used.

[boilermakermom]

The last home we owned had a secret room I the basement. It appeared the was a floor to ceiling bookshelf built into the wall, and next to it there was a placard where the fire extinguisher would rest. When you removed the fire extinguisher and pulled the placard away from the wall, there was a keypad.when you punched in the code, the bookcase popped open.

The room wasn't big-maybe 15'x8'. Inside the room was a silver button to push to unlock the bookcase/door from the inside. It was built by the previous owner, who was a policeman/swat team leader. He used to to keep his guns, etc. locked and away from his kids.

My husband used it mainly for his hunting gear and gun safe. It had a tv, and phone in it as well. The tv was connected to our alarm system/closed camera system. We weathered a few bad storms in there. It was great to be safe from the tornados, while watching what was going on outside.

If I were building a house, I would do it again in a heartbeat! I really missed the room this past christmas! It was wonderful for hiding presents too! I liked that my husbands guns were double locked as well!

[DietCokeLover]

Some friends of ours have these little hidden rooms in every bedroom upstairs. They have turned them into special nooks for reading, games, etc for each child. One has a tv (no cable) hooked to a DVD player for watching movies, etc....like a mini man cave!
I love them and I covet them every time I am at their house!